Gary Cass, former head of the Center For Reclaiming America at the late Rev James Kennedy's Coral Ridge Ministries, has launched an online petition drive to get an evangelical Christian picked as a vice presidential candidate. His current organization, the Fort Lauderdale-based Christian Anti-Defamation Commission (really- I'm not kidding...), sets out three criteria in its Petition for a True Christian VP- Someone who is a born again Christian, "affirms historic Christianity," and has a "proven record of supporting traditional Christian morality."

According to Cass:

I don't think either of them [McCain and Obama] are true Christians. So the best we're going to get out of this election cycle is an evangelical Christian running for vice president. That means someone who opposes things such as abortion and gay rights.

Readers may remember Cass as the fundie who called Matt Foreman a "radical homosexual activist that slandered the reputations of Christian ministers" when Foreman spoke out against the hate being preached from pulpits in Broward County after the slaying of transgender teen Simmie Williams Jr. Cass is also the kind-hearted soul that blasted Bishop Gene Robinson for being openly gay and "bastardizing the church and Bible." Not to mention the fact that he was one of Mayor Naugle's biggest supporters during the battle with the LGBT community last summer.

I'm not sure what Florida has in the water that breeds these haters...

But Cass's appeal is important in one way: it serves as a blunt reminder that the Religious Right remains as determined as ever to usher in a fundamentalist Christian theocracy in America. Most Religious Right leaders are too savvy to make such blatant appeals to religious bigotry, but Cass lays out the full ugly agenda for all to see.... [T]he Religious Right's big-money operations have the same goal as always: an America where their narrow version of Christianity is the law of the land. They want all public officials to be committed not only to their theocratic political agenda, but also to profess allegiance to their fundamentalist theology.

Cass's response? "We're not looking to make someone an ayatollah."

Hmmm... Really, Mr. Cass? It seems like the idea of an absolute theocratic leader and government with your ideas and values forced onto the rest of the country is exactly your mission.

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So, I guess that means that this Cass guy wants Obama and McCain to choose either Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox running mates? They're the real historic Christians. Fundamentalism only dates back to the 1500s, and the writings of John Calvin. Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox date back to before 100 A.D. So, the Christian sects that are based on Calvinism are hardly practicing "that old-time religion"

Of course, if you really want that old-time religion, maybe we need Jewish vice presidents. Of course, we don't need Lieberman again. Or maybe Zoroastrians.....any Zoroastrian politicians out there?

Oddly enough, Obama’s got the best answer for the Republicans VP quest. He can help them and help himself and be ever so 'Presidential' all at the same time.

All Obama has to do is give his senior advisor Sam Nunn to McCain as a running mate. Nunn has impeccable credential as a bigot, he hates unions with a purple passion and like all leading politicians in both parties he fully intends to continue the genocide in Iraq.

As a right centrist Nunn will feel right at home and comfy in either party. And then, with his problem solved, poor McCain won’t have to learn how to Google. That would be a bit too much of a stretch.

I'll be watching the news for word that Cass has been busted for soliciting an undercover cop in a public men's room. Or outed for a decade-long history of sex-and-drugs with high-priced rent-boys. Given his unwavering focus on the issue, it's gotta be only a matter of time.

Rumor has it that the group received a complete set of documents concerning Larry Craig's Christian credentials, but the committee deliberations were adjourned because everyone ws laughing so hard and besides everybody suddenly flet the urge to visit the restroom.